because everyone needs a little saving sometimes

Tag Archives: summer nights

Sometimes I just want to look around at my fellow suburbanites, all residing in this state that gets insanely hot (and stays that way), and ask, “What are we all doing here?”

That 104 degree temp? Well it will cool down to a brisk 97 by midnight.

I love how magazines and retail stores like to convince me summer nights are the best time to be outdoors. Obviously they have never visited my part of the country in which outdoors in the summer = heat, mosquitos, and more heat.

If I planned a rustic dinner party under the summer stars in my backyard with twinkly lights and boasting a s’mores buffet… no one would come. Not because my friends do not appreciate a lovely feast but because it is so hot that the marshmallows would melt before reaching the fire and the twinkly lights would only add to the heat index.

By this point in the summer, nighttime usually finds us indoors relaxing to the tune of the air conditioner humming along. This summer our nights have been a little bit different than summer nights in the past.

This summer we have been home at night.

In the past and because we homeschool, I have allowed our nights to be consumed with child-centered activities. I spend the evening hours hustling back and forth between various sports and their locales, while attempting to cook supper, feed the family members who happen to be home, and clean the kitchen. Weeknights become a blur of frenzy for us.

This summer we brought it all to a stop.

I told the children we were not doing any nighttime activities. There were no arguments or dramatic sad faces. Rather they were thrilled to be home.

Their days were filled this summer, as they attended a variety of camps and classes as well as spending lots of quality time with friends.

But their nights were at home with their father and me.

We did not do anything extravagant on these evenings. We ate dinner at the table. We played some board games. We watched some television. We just enjoyed home.

Next week, night time activities start to fire up again. School begins on Monday, carrying with it all of our other commitments and obligations. In the meantime, I will soak up these remaining quiet summer nights.